THE SILENT LAND

John Lee tells the surreal story of a couple on a ski trip who narrowly escape from an avalanche, only to find themselves caught in a strange netherworld in which time seems to have slowed. Trapped in a ski village where everyone else has vanished, Jake and Zoe struggle to figure out if they’re dead or alive—or somewhere in between. Although Lee’s characterization of Zoe has a breathless urgency that can become tedious, he deftly handles Joyce’s descriptions of the ominous snowy landscape. The authoritative tone of Lee’s narration helps ground the listener in the shifting realities of the plot. F.J.K. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2011]